ANDIAMO A GOLFO DEI POETI
Packing Ballet - Act III
Chucky regrets not finishing the packing last night as there is waaaayyy too much to roll and stuff here and there and packing was a whirlwind since the Dragon Lady unpacks nearly everything, but to her credit she actually stuffed her own bag and zipped it herself for the first time. Of course half her stuff was in the dirty cloths bag… but hey… SHE got her bag closed!
Leaving Il Pianaccio was one of the hardest things I can remember doing recently. It has become my new home in Italia and La Familia Giannuzzi have become more than our innkeepers, they are now family. Suffice it to say DL feels the same way as do the Gianuzzi’s expressing their sadness that we had to go, but go we must.
Check out was very emotional for both families with abrazos all around and some tears, and of course Benito pulls out a bottle of last years wine for us to take home. More abrazos, Ciao’s, Buon Viaggio’s and a last minute note in the guestbook, highlighting our Faboloso Vacanza en Agriturismo Il Pianaccio.
Car packed, Check. Maps out, Check. Water handy, Check. Chucky rearranging everything twice, Check. Dragon Lady tapping her fingers impatiently, Check. AND WE’RE OFF to LERICI and the Gulf of Poets
Getting out of Montale and onto A11 towards Pisa/Livorno was a breeze having been this way before, maneuvering the Autostrada changes and merges toward Lerici, perfect…
Finding Vialle Cristoforo Colombo… for the local road transfer… not so good. [what else is New?]
After just 1 wrong turn & 1 girare-u we found that we were actually ON Cristoforo Colombo… in the wrong direction. GIRARE-U … Now all we need to do is proceed 1.2 km and take the 3rd exit at the traffic circle to merge onto SS331. UH…WRONG!!
“You did not take the 3rd exit Chucky!”
“But the sign was pointing this way to ßLERICI …”
“Then why bother with the directions?”
“Well… I sorta created a Hybrid version of directions to take you along a coastal road, but we’re heading inland.”
GIRARE-U
“Lets go back onto Cris Colombo and try that again.”
ROUNDABOUT - GIRARE-U –ROUNDABOUT
“Now try uscita #3 this time Mario Andretti, Jr!”
“But the sign…DAMN that’s confusing…”
ÓNCE MORE ROUND THE CIRCLE
“Ok… try that way mister smarty pants… LERICIà that way… see”
“Ooppss Ahhhh yes, this way, guess I mis-read it.”
1.5km later we still cant find a sign that confirms we’re on SS331 so….
GIRARE-U
As we pass O’Neil’s Irish Pub - for the second time, going the other way [she couldn’t get the camera set quick enough for a picture to show Sean Flynn that those Bloody Irish are everywhere] we once again repeat the traffic circle shuffle, very slowly this time, to the consternation of the poor locals behind us and finally find a small sign at the very bottom of a loooonnnng list of towns, monuments, and hotels à signs…
“THERE… SS331à “ AL
It all seemed to go pretty well from there by following LERICIà & ßLERICI until we got to a confusing sign that said ßLerici & Sarzanoà. Chucky remembered something about an exit at Sarzano being more direct, but decided to stick with following ßLERICI.
Good choice, and we just followed ßLERICI all the way to a tunnel that had a ZTL sign – Zona Traffico Limitato - with a cop and several cameras on hand to clock your tag and mail tickets. Fortunately, there was also a tourist info booth right there, with a long que of other equally confused travelers. Lerici is a limited traffic zone with lieraly one way in from here, and another way out.
The gracious Mario, gave us excellent instructions to
“Proceed through the tunnel, go 450 meters, Gira Destra, and Hotel Florida is along that strada. “Be sure to have your hotel e-mail your license tag to il Polizia for your authorization.
A hearty “Grazie Mille”, and we we’re off, around the circle again, into the tunnel and as we emerged Chucky figures we went 450 meters and turned right into a veeerrrryyyy narrow -1 car only – street that kept getting narrower till it dead-ended at a driveway.
“OK, now what...“O…O…E…E…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?”
“What we seem to do best- making a GIRARE-U!”
“WATCH THAT WALL… “O…O…E…E…Be CAREFUL… THE BIKE… THE BIKE…“O…O…E…E…”
“Got it…Now to get outta this alley...”
Navigating the narrow street we hang a right onto the only way into Lerici from this direction and at the bottom of the steep, winding road we found the Piazza Garibaldi. [For over a week she couldn’t find Giussepe, now she cant get away from “Giralda-Gibralter-Ghiardelli -WHATEVER!”] We make the correct right turn along the bayside arriving at a semaforo alternating traffic one lane this way, one that way, around an exceptionally narrow rocky walled one lane turn and on down to the Hotel Florida.
Gliding into a parcheggio next door, Chucky hot foots it into the hotel for directions to a parking spot right in front where he leaves the roller-skate. The delightful desk agent Ramona comes out with our parking authorization for the dash and helps us drag the LUGGAGE across the busy street. She has already made our room key and checked us in. Taking our passports for registry with the Polizia, Ramona directs us to the “Lift” where she had left one bag, the others we drug up a cute ramp to the next level, squeeze into then mini-Elevator, and up to room 444 down a dark hall, finding that our key doesn’t work. Back down at the desk, Ramona apologizes, gives us her pass key till she can make another. The pass key gets us in, but doesn’t work the lights… Not to Worry… we dump the bags etc, grab the camera and head out for lunch at Ristorante il Frantoio [Olive Mill-another Alessio referral] Originally our reservation was for 1PM but with the late start and girare-u’s we had called from the road to reschedule. Ramona will have our passports and key ready when we get back and apologizes again. So gracious and delightful with a sparkling personality… we just love cute Italian women. Hell, we love All Things Italian!!!
The rest of Sunday will show up in the next post… this is already over done….
Ciao 4 Now
Uncle Chuck & The sad to be leaving La Familia at Il Pianaccio,
Dragon Lady
Dragon Lady
Finally enjoying Fine Tuscan Wine, Aged Sharp Cheese & Great Crusty Bread
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